Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Cleaning out the cobwebs

I went on a diet and dropped some weight, and realized once again that I can accomplish so much more when I'm not stuffing my face all day.

When the opportunity to eat food whenever I wanted was removed from me, I suddenly found I had the energy and desire to clean and organize my home.

God has been speaking to me about downsizing. When He first spoke to me it was in the context of learning to live with less. Shortly after He laid this on my heart my husband presented me with the idea of moving. I knew at once that God was preparing me for that possibility. Of course, now that some time has passed and circumstances have changed, we are no longer considering moving. Now it is back to simply obeying God's instructions.

I know that I struggle (as do many of us Americans) with a poverty spirit. What I mean by this is that I horde things that aren't really of any value because I fear that if I give them up I will need them later and not be able to afford replacing them.

I know that God has given me everything I own. He is the one who has allowed these things to come into my possession. I also know that I am to be freely giving to others. My life is to be a conduit through which God can bless others. As I freely give to others, God continues to give to me.

So it is with that mindset that I am purging my belongings. I have given away so many, many things recently. I have more to give. My goal is to be able to clear enough stuff out of my garage that I can park my car in it. Of course, along with that goal, I also want to clear anything unused or no longer needed out of all the rooms in my house. Normally when I have cleaned out closets and shelves I have relocated items to the garage. This time I'm trying to actually get rid of these things.

I still have a lot to do, but I am persevering. It's not the most fun thing to do in the world, but I am noticing that as I get rid of things I feel weight being lifted off my shoulders.

One thing that seems to help is asking myself a simple question as I go through each box and shelf and cubby. "Do I ever want to pack this up and move it to another house?" Even though I know at this point that we aren't planning to move, it helps me decide what things are really necessary.

Another question I keep in mind is, "Is this something I love, or something I like?" There are some items I own that are nice and pretty, but I don't love them. These "likes" are headed to the thrift store and hopefully into the hands of someone who will love them.

Whenever the fear creeps into the back of my mind I have to remind myself that if God provided it once, then He will provide it again. There are so many people out there that can use the things I no longer need.